Heroes Blood Drive Marks 5 Years in Merrimack

Merrimack teen Brandon Snell and his parents Brian and Kerri marked a milestone this year with Brandon Snell's 5th annual Heroes Blood Drive at St. James United Methodist Church on Monday.

Brandon Snell, 14, was 9 years old when he was at a blood drive with his parents and he wondered why there wasn't one closer to home. Through the help of friends and their church, the Snells have put on an annual blood drive event complete with hot food for donors and volunteers and t-shirt and reusable shopping bags as a thank you for donating. 

The drive has been held for four years in honor of the men and women who've served in the armed forces and it has been held on the day observing Veterans Day. However, the first year, the event was in August, in honor of the men and women who sacrificed their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks.

In 2011, Brandon won the Red Cross' Youth Hero Award  and certificated from the Governor's Youth Award, for the effort he puts into these blood drives.

Red Cross Blood Drive Mobile Unit Assistant Robert Baronas said with about 20 minutes left in the five-hour drive that they were very near their goal of 56 pints collected, with 48 and several people still in chairs donating and booths registering. They had already exceeded a goal of eight double red donations, in which people are hooked up to a special machine that allows them to donate two pints because the machine returns plasma and platelets to the donor.

That's a pretty good number, Baronas said, especially given the recent concentration of blood drives in the area. 

"This one has turned out very well," he said. 

Kerri Snell said Monday night that they look forward to this event every year, and that it has become a real showing of community support.

"We have people that have been coming to give blood every year," Snell said. 

In addition, friends from their church volunteer to help make the drive run smoothly. 

"Everybody is just so supportive," she said.